Rep. James Jackson of Georgia, Speech on the power of removal, June 17, 1789
(New York Daily Advertiser, June 20, 1789
--Courtesy of the Library of Congress)

Madison's
motion calling for the creation of three executive departments sparked the most
extensive debate on Constitutional interpretation during the First Federal Congress.
The subject was how the heads of departments should be removed. The speeches of
this debate reveal much about the thinking of the members of the Congress and their
varied interpretations of the Constitution. During the discussions, four distinct
theories on the removal power emerged. Some members even held that the only method
of removal was the one provided for in the Constitution-- impeachment, but eventually
the majority agreed that the President held the power by implication from the Constitution.
This speech by Jackson illustrates the lengths to which members would go to make a point
in debate.